Campaign Types: Display, Video, CTV, and In-App Compared

For the complete campaign setup process, refer to the Campaign Setup Guide.

Overview

Before the line item setup wizard begins, you select a campaign type. This is the single most important decision in the setup process — it determines which devices, operating systems, inventory sources, and ad formats are available throughout every subsequent step.

The choice is permanent for the line item being created. If you need a different type, create a new line item under the same campaign.

Available Campaign Types

ad:personam supports four campaign types. Each targets a different combination of environment, channel, and ad format.

Display

Banner, rich media, and native ads served across websites. Display is the most versatile format — suitable for brand awareness, retargeting, and direct response at any budget level.

• Plan required: STARTER or higher
• Environment: Web
• Channel: Display
• Ad formats: Display and Native
• Devices: Desktop and Laptop, Smartphone, Tablet
• Platforms: Android, iOS, iPadOS, Windows, macOS, Mac OS X, ChromeOS

Display is the default starting point for most advertisers. It offers the broadest reach across publishers and the widest selection of device and browser targeting options.

Video

Pre-roll, mid-roll, and outstream video placements on the web. Video delivers higher engagement rates than static formats, making it ideal for storytelling, product demos, and brand campaigns.

• Plan required: PRO
• Environment: Web
• Channel: Video
• Ad formats: Audio and Video
• Devices: Desktop and Laptop, Smartphone, Tablet
• Platforms: Android, iOS, iPadOS, Windows, macOS, Mac OS X, ChromeOS

Video shares the same device and platform options as Display but uses the Audio and Video environment format, which routes bids to video-capable inventory.

Connected TV (CTV)

Video ads on smart TVs, streaming services, and OTT platforms. CTV provides premium, brand-safe environments with household-level reach — ideal for campaigns that need television-scale impact with digital measurement.

• Plan required: PRO
• Environment: App
• Channel: TV
• Ad formats: Audio and Video
• Devices: Console, Kiosk, Media Hub, TV
• Platforms: Android TV, Apple TV Software, Roku OS, webOS, Tizen, Chromecast, SmartCast, VIDAA OS, Fire OS, Xbox OS, PS5 Software

CTV operates in the App environment because streaming content is delivered through apps on connected devices. The device and platform lists are entirely different from web-based types — you will see TV-specific operating systems and hardware categories instead of browsers and desktops.

In-App

Banner and video ads served inside mobile applications. In-App is strong for location-based campaigns, mobile-first audiences, and high-frequency touchpoints throughout the day.

• Plan required: PRO
• Environment: App
• Channel: In-App Gaming
• Ad formats: All formats (Display, Audio and Video, Native)
• Devices: Smartphone, Tablet
• Platforms: Android, iOS, iPadOS, Fire OS

In-App is the only campaign type that supports connection type targeting (Mobile, WiFi, or Wired), allowing you to tailor bids based on how the user is connected.

How Campaign Type Selection Works

When you select a campaign type, the platform automatically applies a preset configuration that determines the technical parameters for the entire line item. This mapping is handled by CAMPAIGN_TYPE_MAPPINGS — the source of truth for how your UI selection translates into API values.

What Gets Set Automatically

Each campaign type maps to three configuration properties:

These values flow through the entire setup wizard. They filter which device types, operating systems, and inventory sources appear in later steps — you only see options that are relevant to your chosen type.

The Full Mapping

Why does CTV use the App environment? Streaming platforms deliver content through apps on connected devices (Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, smart TV operating systems). From a programmatic perspective, this inventory is classified as app-based — even though the viewing experience resembles traditional television.

Plan Requirements

Campaign type access is gated by your subscription plan:

On a STARTER plan, you can explore the full line item creation experience for all types, but only Display line items can go live. Upgrade to PRO to unlock Video, CTV, and In-App.

Choosing the Right Type

You can run multiple campaign types under the same campaign by creating separate line items — each line item selects its own type independently. However, consider the brand safety cost implications of mixing channel types within a single campaign.

What Changes Downstream

Your campaign type choice affects every subsequent step in the wizard:

Quick Reference